A devastating double homicide has shaken the community of San Ignacio, Belize’s Cayo District, after two employed town council security guards were shot and killed in broad daylight early Wednesday morning on May 6, 2026. Local authorities and community leaders have moved quickly to honor the victims, with a public candlelight vigil planned to commemorate their lives and support their grieving families.
San Ignacio Mayor Earl Trapp confirmed the details of the tragedy in an official announcement, identifying the deceased as 56-year-old Manuel Smith and 42-year-old Fidencia Osgaya. Both victims had just completed an overnight shift securing the San Ignacio public market, ending their work between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Trapp explained that Smith had offered Osgaya a ride home following their shift, a routine act of kindness that ended in unthinkable violence.
According to initial reports from Belizean law enforcement, the shooting took place shortly after 6 a.m. in the parking area directly in front of Nazarene Primary School. First responders arrived at the scene within minutes to find both victims still inside Smith’s vehicle, each having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel pronounced both victims dead at the location of the attack, and forensic investigators later recovered more than a dozen spent bullet casings from the site for ballistics analysis.
In a heartfelt statement following the incident, Mayor Trapp extended a formal message of condolence on behalf of the entire San Ignacio Town Council. “I honestly and sincerely, on behalf of every member of our council, want to extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the families of these two beloved workers, who have suffered such an unimaginable loss,” Trapp said.
To unite the community in mourning and honor the lives of the two fallen employees, Mayor Trapp announced that a public candlelight vigil will be held this Thursday evening at San Ignacio’s Macal Park, running from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Community members are expected to gather in large numbers to pay their respects and stand with the victims’ loved ones during this difficult time.
As of Wednesday afternoon, law enforcement officials have not named any persons of interest in connection with the double homicide. Investigators have not yet established a clear motive for the attack, and the investigation remains active and ongoing as authorities work to identify and apprehend the perpetrator or perpetrators responsible.